The Man In Black (A Danisnotonfire Love Story)
by cigarettesandnirvana
Summary: Ashley just wants to find her place in the world. She'd given up hope of ever making it past her hometown when an unlikely encounter turns her world upside-down.
1. Californication

{Hi, guys! This is my first novel-type thing on my new account:) and yes it is a Dan Howell Fanfiction.

There may be mention of: Drugs, alcohol, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, rape, and possibly more throughout the story. If these subjects are triggers for you, STOP READING. It's not worth it.

Anyways, please enjoy, comment, like, etc.

-A. Elizabeth}

Ever since I was young, any time I met someone who wasn't from California, they made the same basic assumptions about life there. That we all live next to the beach, and surf, and know a movie star. And despite the things said in my friend Anthony's old YouTube video, this is simply not true.

Anthony is a few years older than me, and I guess you could say he's pretty famous? Or, at least, he's a part of something pretty famous. Except all him and his friend Ian do is make stupid videos that are mildly funny. I never really got into it. We'd met through some mutual friends, and since I'm kinda mature for my age and he's kinda immature for his age, we got along pretty well. Hard to believe I've known him since he was a dorky high school senior from Sacramento, California, with dreams of making it big.

We hadn't talked much since he'd moved to Los Angeles. I was still stuck in the capital, awaiting my chance for greatness. That's why I was caught a little off guard when I got a text from Anthony out of the blue.

"Hey, you busy next weekend?" it read. I quickly responded.

"I'm never busy, I have no life. Why?"

"Well, there's this YouTuber gathering thing, and I was going to take Kristen, but it's still kind of awkward after the break up. Could you by any chance be my plus one?"

The question and all its possibilities excited me. After all, while I wasn't too keen on Anthony's channels, I definitely wasn't immune to the YouTube bug. I'd grown up watching Shane Dawson and Fred and CapnDesDes. It was an integral part of who I am. So, really, my answer was a no-brainer.

"Sure. When, where, what clothes?"

"Um the 20th at 6pm at the Roosevelt hotel in LA. It's a retro Alfred Hitchcock-type theme. So anything that works with that."

"LA?! How the fuck am I supposed to get to LA. You do realize that not everyone makes a million dollars a minute, right?"

"Chill, Ash. I'll get you a ticket and pick you up at LAX." This kind of shocked me.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you spend money on me."

"You aren't making me. You're one of my closest friends, I haven't seen you in years, and I have money to spare. Maybe I can even get a tax deduction for this act of charity."

"Fuck you," I replied, knowing that he'd know I meant it endearingly.

"Love you to. So are we on?" Sighing, I figured I didn't have much of a reason to say no.

"We're on."

{Wow, that was horrible I'm so sorry. Btw, the bad grammar and spelling in the texts is PURPOSEFUL. Because most people don't text with perfect grammar and spelling. Any other mistakes are because I'm a flawed human.}


	2. Anthony, You're A Star

{Ok, chapter 2, now!

Enjoy, and please heart/comment.}

That night I started packing for the trip, since it was only a few days away. I don't own many clothes, so it was pretty easy. I did, however, pack my favorite vintage white dress, courtesy of Etsy, for the occasion. It was long and made of this amazing silky material that I absolutely adored. It was perfect for a 60s Hitchcock-themed event.

After packing my clothes, toiletries, and some electronics for when I inevitably got bored, I set my suitcase aside and lay down on my unkempt bed. For a while, I just thought. I thought about the event, and Anthony, and whether or not his YouTube friends would like me. I hoped they would. I can be a little shy, but get a few drinks in me, and I'm the life of the party.

With those thoughts, I fell asleep, nervous but excited.

...

That Friday, I arrived at the airport, early, as I know from experience just how crowded and crazy the terminals can get. Finally, I settled at my gate, waiting for them to call for the first class passengers. I still couldn't believe Anthony had bought me a ticket, let alone a ticket in first class. It seemed a bit frugal and pointless, since the plane ride is only a little over an hour long. But I wasn't going to complain, especially since I figured I may never get the chance to travel first class again.

After a while, I boarded the plane and spent the uneventful hour playing games on my phone and checking tumblr. The plane touched down, and I was hit with a sudden feeling of anxiety. Anthony and I hadn't seen each other in a long time, and had both changed tremendously from the days when we used to listen to angsty "hardcore" music and talk about how much we hated our town and most of the people in it. Now he was a big-shot internet celebrity, and I was just a lowly receptionist who still hadn't figured out how to get out of Sacramento.

Exiting the plane, I saw a tall man in an ill-fitting driver's cap holding up a sign that read "AshAttack". Cringing at the use of a nickname I hadn't heard in ages, I approached the man. As I got closer, I recognized an unmistakable strong jaw and wide smirk.

"Tony the Tiger!" I yelled, tackling him and earning some weird looks from the people around us. He cringed.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate that nickname?" he asked, rubbing his now sore shoulder.

"Only every time I've called you that since we were kids." I gave him a huge hug and he grinned down at me, the tall bastard. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too! No one in LA gets my "only in Sacramento" jokes!" He chuckled. "How was your flight?"

"It was fine. I can't believe you actually bought me a first class ticket." We walked out of the airport into the beaming LA sunlight.

"Only the best for my partner-in-crime! Besides, like I said, I've got more money than I feel comfortable spending on myself, so it's really no problem."

"Well, thank you," I said, as we approached a gorgeous red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT. My entire jaw just dropped. "No. No. Ohmygod no."

"Oh my god, yes, Ashley. If you had access to a car like this, would you buy it impulsively without thinking?" he asked, parodying a quote from one of our favorite movies.

"It's... It's the car. THE car. From Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

"Well, it's not the exact car, but yeah. It's the car." He laughed at my obvious shock.

"Suddenly, I'm wishing I'd gotten into this YouTube thing when I had the chance." Anthony rolled his eyes.

"Just get in, you loser." And off we drove.

{Well, that still wasn't great. Maybe I'm improving, though? Who knows. Don't forget to comment and heart if you like it! Hopefully Dan shows up in the next chapter, but I don't want to rush it!

-A. Elizabeth}


	3. The (After) Life Of The Party

{Hey guys :) yay, chapter 3! I'm excited, because the story is about to really start picking up.

Please, give feedback, comment , like, etc.

-A. Elizabeth}

After Anthony picked me up from the airport, we'd spent the day in his apartment, goofing off and drinking and watching TV. I woke up Saturday afternoon with a bit of a hangover, but I powered through it, since I knew in a few short hours we'd be leaving for the party.

At around 4:30, I started to get my clothes and things set up. On the bed I placed my dress, a gorgeous Swarovski necklace and bracelet my grandma had given me, a white clutch, and some shimmering silver strappy heels.

I then went to the bathroom to curl my hair and do my makeup. I decided to go for a Marilyn Monroe-inspired look, though my brown hair was a bit long for the look. After I was made up, I got dressed and walked down the hall to Anthony's bedroom, knocking on the door.

"Hey, Buttface, it's almost 5:30. We need to get going!"

"Hold on, hold on, I can't figure out the tie." He swung open his door and stepped into the hall, his poor tie looking a mess.

"Just like prom," I said, laughing and tying it for him.

"Thanks, Ash." He looked at my outfit. "You look amazing!"

"You aren't so bad yourself, sir. But really, we gotta go." He checked the time on his phone, clearly not believing me about the time.

"Shit, you're right. Let's go." And so we left his apartment complex, dressed like stars.

...

On the way into the Roosevelt, Anthony was yelled at by what appeared to be a few of his fans on the street. He waved and smiled, but for the most part seemed intent on getting us inside. The party itself was being held at Teddy's, a nightclub at the main lobby of the hotel.

Once inside the club, we were enveloped in sensual magenta lighting and dance music. My nerves were all standing on edge, threatening to push me into a catatonic state of panic. All around me, I saw people I'd only ever seen through a computer screen. They seemed so...normal. Which wasn't too strange of an idea. But seeing them all up close and personal was terrifying.

We hadn't been there for more than five minutes when a man a little shorter than myself tapped Anthony and I on the shoulders. We both turned, meeting his bespectacled eyes and bleached-blond hair.

"Tyler!" Anthony practically screamed, a giant grin spreading on his face. They embraced in a tight hug, which was kinda funny to watch considering the height difference.

When they pulled away, Tyler turned to me and flashed me a million dollar smile.

"Hey, I'm Tyler Oakley," he said, as if I didn't already know. He stuck out his hand. I froze, before slowly and almost robotically placing my hand in his. He shook it lightly, and before ending the handshake, he gently cracked the knuckle on my middle finger. It was strange, but this action that I normally would have seen as an extreme invasion of my personal space actually soothed me.

"I'm Ashley," I said, trying desperately to sound confident.

"Are you a YouTuber?" he asked politely. I shook my head.

"No, no. Just Anthony's guest."

"I've known her since high school," Anthony said. Tyler smiled.

"Oh, that's awesome! You guys want to head over and get a drink? It's open bar, and Mama's thirsty." Anthony chuckled and nodded. We followed Tyler to the bar, where he shamelessly flirted with the young bartender and ordered us a round of shots.

"What should we drink to?" he asked.

"To new friends," I said, my anxiety waning.

And so, we all tossed back our heads and drank the burning liquid, ready for whatever the night would bring.

...

I spent most of the night with Tyler and Anthony, soaking up their natural confidence. They introduced me to everyone, and it became clear pretty fast that out of the hundred or so people in the room, I was one of the few who had no real connection to YouTube.

After a while, I started to get thirsty. I decided to leave Tyler and Anthony and go get another drink at the bar. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea, not worrying about how much I drank, since Anthony was driving. He handed it to me in a plastic mason jar and I turned to walk away.

As I walked away, I didn't pay too much attention to where I was going. So it isn't too shocking that moments later, I hit a warm, soft body with an "oomph" and fell down, spilling my drink all over me and the person I'd run into.

I sat up, trying to assess how bad the damage was to my dress, not thinking of the other person. Suddenly, a pale, nimble hand came into my line of vision.

"Sorry, love, didn't see you there," he said. I took the hand and let him pull me up.

And when I was on my feet, I was staring right up into the chocolate brown eyes of one Mr. Dan Howell.

{Woohoo, they finally met! Anyways, don't forget to comment, like, etc.!}


	4. Party Poison

{Hey, sorry for the delay. Been dealing with some personal stuff. Anywho, here's chapter 4!

-A. Elizabeth }

The first thing I really noticed about him was how tall he was. I mean, I'd always known he was on the lanky side, but he was a good head-and-a-half taller than me. Suddenly, it hit me what all had happened.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Fuck, fuck!" I frantically rushed to get some napkins from the bar next to us. I started trying to wipe the alcohol from his suit, to little effect. he chuckled.

"It's okay, it'll wash out." I stopped my cleaning. My face was beet red. Could I not get through one party without making an ass of myself?

"I'm sorry I spilled my drink on you," I said softly.

"It's okay. I mean, it's sort of my fault. I was looking at my phone. I'm not a big fan of parties."

"Me either." I didn't know what else to say. It's very awkward standing in front of someone you know a ton about when they don't even know your name.

"I'm Dan, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ashley."

"Well, Ashley, don't worry too much about this. Most of my life is a series of mishaps and poor decision-making."

Without thinking, I replied, "Oh, I know." I widened my eyes, realizing I'd given myself away. His eyes lit up a bit.

"Oh, have you seen my videos?"

"Maybe one or two," I lied. I'd seen every single one, and had been watching since the infamous 'Hello, Internet' video. I could just barely make out a slight flush on his cheeks from my admission.

"Well, on the bright side, you already know how incredibly lame and awkward I am."

"I'm lame and awkward, too, don't worry. The only reason I'm here is my friend Anthony needed a date."

"Friend? Or boyfriend?" he asked cheekily.

"Just friends. I've known him since I was just a kid."

"Oh," he said with a small smile. "In that case, Ashley, would you like to walk around with me? We can go look around the hotel."

"Yes," I said, trying hard not to sound too eager.

So so he took my arm in his, and we walked out of the small club.

...

"You know, this hotel's haunted," I said to Dan as we walked aimlessly down a hallway.

"No. Stop. Don't tell me that."

"Yeah, and it was the site of the first ever Academy Awards. They say the ghost of Marilyn Monroe roams these very halls," I said in a low voice. I saw him swallow dryly.

"That's all just stories, though right? I mean about it being haunted."

"No. Actually, downstairs they have a mirror on display that supposedly shows her reflection when you look into it."

"No way," he said, a little nervously.

"Yeah, there's even a Marilyn Monroe Suite where people have recorded a woman's voice saying 'help me'." I turned to him and smiled slyly. "Let's go check it out."

"Oh, uh, I don't know, I mean, we might get in trouble and—" He sighed, seeing the determination in my eyes. So we went in search of the Marilyn Suite. When we finally found it, we sat down in the hallway outside the room.

"Is there anyone else with us?" I asked. No response. "If there's someone here, please do something to alert us of your presence." Still no answer.

"Ashley, I don't think it's such a great idea to fuck with spirits. You might piss them off."

"Ok, ok. Just let me try one more time." I cleared my throat for emphasis. "Is the spirit of Marilyn Monroe here with us?" I paused for a beat, before hearing a terrible crash around the corner of the hallway.

"Oh, fuck," I said.

We scrambled to our feet and into the nearest linens closet. It was a tight fit, and our torsos were almost touching. Through the slats in the closet door, we could make out one of the housekeepers picking up fallen cleaning supplies and placing them back on her cart. We sighed in relief.

"Holy shit, Ashley," Dan whispered.

"I know, oh my god, my heart is beating so fast." I took his hand and placed it on my neck so he could feel my pulse. He laughed. Then got quiet as he took in how close he was to this complete stranger.

"Ashley?" he said quietly.

"Yeah, Dan?" I searched for his eyes in the dim cupboard.

"Would it– Would it be okay if I kissed you?"

"Yeah," I said completely shocked. I felt his head move closer, and our lips just barely brushed.

Suddenly, the closet door swung open, and we were awash with bright light.

"What're you guys doing in here?"

{Yay, I actually updated. I hope you enjoyed it, please like and comment}


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